crime

noun

\ ˈkrīm

Definition of crime

1 : an illegal act for which someone can be punished by the government especially : a gross violation of law

2 : a grave offense especially against morality

3 : criminal activity efforts to fight crime

4 : something reprehensible, foolish, or disgraceful It's a crime to waste good food.

Other Words from crime Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about crime

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Choose the Right Synonym for crime

offense, sin, vice, crime, scandal mean a transgression of law. offense applies to the infraction of any law, rule, or code. at that school no offense went unpunished sin implies an offense against moral or religious law. the sin of blasphemy vice applies to a habit or practice that degrades or corrupts. regarded gambling as a vice crime implies a serious offense punishable by the law of the state. the crime of murder scandal applies to an offense that outrages the public conscience. a career ruined by a sex scandal

Examples of crime in a Sentence

She paid dearly for her crimes. evidence that helped them solve the crime He was punished for a crime that he didn't commit. the recent increase in violent crime Being single is not a crime. There's no greater crime than forgetting your anniversary.

Recent Examples on the Web

Along with stoning, the new law calls for amputation and other violent penalties for other crimes like theft and adultery. — Elizabeth Gulino, House Beautiful, "Ellen DeGeneres Calls On Fans to Boycott These Famous Hotels," 3 Apr. 2019 Because of this, Jeffree believes the crime was an inside job. — Kelsey Stiegman, Seventeen, "Everything We Know About the Jeffree Star Cosmetics Break-In and Theft," 2 Apr. 2019 Van Brittan Brown and her husband, Albert, invented the home security system in response to the rising crime rates and slow police responses in their Queens neighborhood. — Jill Kiedaisch, Popular Mechanics, "32 Women Who’ve Changed Life As We Know It," 31 Mar. 2019 Much like Blue Bloods, another crime drama that is filmed on-location in Brooklyn, New York, Chicago Fire has always been filmed where it's meant to take place, in the heart of Illinois. — Kelly O'sullivan, Country Living, "'Chicago Fire' Is Officially Coming Back for Season 8: Here's What to Know," 27 Mar. 2019 For years, Camden topped the FBI’s list of the 10 most dangerous places in America, and the community has lost many men to drugs and crime. — Kate Morgan, Woman's Day, "A New Jersey Softball Team Is Lifting Its City's Spirits," 21 Mar. 2019 According to a 2014 report from the Chicago Police Department, nearly 60 percent of the guns in crime scenes that were recovered and traced between 2009 and 2013 came from outside the state. — German Lopez, Vox, "I’ve covered gun violence for years. The solutions aren’t a big mystery.," 14 Feb. 2019 Fortunately for fans of the crime drama, the show has already been renewed for a third season. — Caroline Hallemann, Town & Country, "Ozark Season 3: Everything We Know So Far," 6 Jan. 2019 The Sabah report came as Turkish crime-scene investigators finished an overnight search of both the consul general's residence and a second search of the consulate itself. — Suzan Fraser, Fox News, "Man linked to Saudi prince at consulate when writer vanished," 18 Oct. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'crime.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for crime

Middle English, "wrongdoing, sin," borrowed from Anglo-French, going back to Latin crīmin-, crīmen "accusation, charge, indictment, source of an accusation, misdeed, offense," probably from crī-, variant stem of cernere "to sift, discern, decide, determine" + -men, resultative noun suffix (probably originally "decision," then "judicial decision, indictment") — more at certain entry 1

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More Definitions for crime

crime

noun

English Language Learners Definition of crime

: an illegal act for which someone can be punished by the government

: activity that is against the law : illegal acts in general

: an act that is foolish or wrong

See the full definition for crime in the English Language Learners Dictionary

crime

noun

\ ˈkrīm

Kids Definition of crime

1 : the act of doing something forbidden by law or the failure to do an act required by law

2 : an act that is foolish or wrong It's a crime to waste food.

crime

noun

\ ˈkrīm

Legal Definition of crime

1 : conduct that is prohibited and has a specific punishment (as incarceration or fine) prescribed by public law — compare delict, tort

2 : an offense against public law usually excluding a petty violation — see also felony, misdemeanor

Note: Crimes in the common-law tradition were originally defined primarily by judicial decision. For the most part, common-law crimes are now codified. There is a general principle “nullum crimen sine lege,” that there can be no crime without a law. A crime generally consists of both conduct, known as the actus reus, and a concurrent state of mind, known as the mens rea.

3 : criminal activity